Greetings All

Today, Brad Wagonner and I birded s. Skagit County and the Stanwood area

At Skagit WMA, about 100 yards down the trail from the boat launch (this is
the Skagit WMA Wiley Rd/Headquarters access) a Gray Catbird popped up in
response to pishing; it remained silent, allowed for a couple pics, and then
disappeared.

At, and near, the Hayden Snow Goose Preserve (along Fir Island Rd, a couple
miles w. of Wiley Rd), there was innumerable Snow Geese. Among them were 3 ad.
Blue Geese, 1 imm Blue Goose, and a "tweener" goose..... almost entirely white
below, but much like a Blue Goose above. The Blue "morph" of Snow Goose
differs by one gene.... the dark gene is dominant, but penetration is variable, so
heterozygotes (hybrids or intergrades, if you will) have a variable
appearance. Some look like "pure" Blue Geese. The pale extreme of heterozygotes is like
this "tweener" bird.

There was also a flock of about 40 Pacific (frontalis) GWF Geese (our usual
race). Separate from them, among the Snows, were three very dark Tule GWF
Geese. These are quite rare in Washington. The immature looked almost completely
deep chocolate brown. Also in the area were 45 or so minima Cackling Geese.

Some slightly late birds included BW and Cinnamon Teal, Lesser Yellowlegs,
and Common Yellowthroat.

Best Wishes
Steven Mlodinow
Everett WA


**************************************
See what's new at
http://www.aol.com